Lost & Found
by AZWriter
Summary: Jack has to cope too when Teal'c endures a major life change and a crisis of confidence.


Title: Lost and Found

**Title:** **Lost and Found**

Summary: Jack has to cope too when Teal'c endures a major life change and a crisis of confidence.

Episode Related: Orpheus  
Season: Season 7  
Pairing: No thank you.  
Rating: K+ for a few minor swear words  
Author's Note: Had this ep been filmed during Stargate's heyday when RDA was around a lot, we would have seen a lot more Jack and Teal'c interaction. This is my effort to fill those holes. Actually wrote this about 5 yrs ago but am posting now because Jack & Teal'c friendship fic is still severely under-represented.

Disclaimer: They don't belong to me, etc. etc.

Any mistakes are strictly my own.

**Scriptwriter's Credit: "Orpheus" written by Peter DeLuise.**

**Lost & Found**

The staff blast just missed Jack O'Neill's head and cut a young sapling in half. Moments later, he burst clear of the tree line with Carter and Daniel in the lead. Teal'c brought up the rear and turned to fire his staff weapon at the pursuing Jaffa.

Jack's knee protested, sharp, stabbing pains lancing down his leg with each rapid footfall. Nothing serious this time he hoped. He just twisted the wrong way when all the shooting had started.

He heard Teal'c's heavy steps behind him as he dived for cover behind a jumble of rocks. He and Teal'c provided cover while Daniel and Carter raced forward. Jack shouted to be heard over the sizzling discharge of the staff weapons and their own rifle fire.

"Get to the gate. Move!"

The P90s' rapid-fire chatter joined the sound of Teal'c's staff weapon and they brought two more Jaffa to the ground. A half a dozen more warriors charged in to pick up where their fallen comrades had left off.

Jack risked a glance back toward the Stargate and caught a glimpse of Daniel, who dialed home, and Carter, gun poised and firing, just waiting for the dialing process to finish so she could key in their IDC.

He turned back in time to see a staff blast shatter the top of the boulder where Teal'c was hidden. A few rounds from his P90 made short work of the shooter, and he anxiously checked to be sure Teal'c was okay.

Teal'c gave a quick nod and the two soldiers fell into a familiar pattern; one covering the other as they pulled back toward the gate.

"Unscheduled off-world activation."

The base's personnel launched into action as the announcement came over the loudspeakers and alarms rang out. The well-trained SFs needed mere seconds to move through the SGC corridors and take up defensive positions at the base of the ramp.

Hammond scanned the scene from the control room then spared a brief glance at Sergeant Davis.

"It's SG-1's IDC, Sir," Davis said. "Receiving audio, Sir."

"On speaker."

Colonel O'Neill's voice crackled over the radio amid the sounds of weapons fire. "Close quarters withdrawal! It's gonna get ugly!"

The muscles in Hammond's back stiffened at the urgency in Jack's voice. "Acknowledged, Colonel. We'll be ready, just give us the word."

He addressed the security forces in the gate room in a calm but authoritative voice. "Watch your friendlies. Safeties off, clean targets, clean backgrounds."

With quiet precision, the SFs complied.

A staff blast disintegrated the mound of earth Jack lay behind, and exploding bits of dirt and debris peppered his face.

"O'Neill!"

Even through watery eyes, Jack saw the look of concern on Teal'c's face and saw his friend ready to make a break for his position. Jack waved him off, blinking his eyes to try and clear them. His team was still in trouble and his trigger finger didn't miss a beat.

With a brief hand signal to Teal'c, Jack once again lurched up and broke into a run. Daniel and Carter left the cover of the DHD and were right on his heels_**.**_

At the base of the platform, the three of them turned to lay down cover fire for Teal'c.

"Teal'c! Let's go!"

Jack switched to his radio. "Base, this is it! We're on our way!"

Jack raced up the steps, confident that Daniel, Carter and Teal'c were close behind. In seconds, they burst through the event horizon.

Carter shouted toward the control room. "Teal'c's right behind us."

They each took up defensive positions beside the ramp. Teal'c jumped through, the enemy's staff weapons discharging through the event horizon and slamming into the wall.

A fraction of a second later, one of the enemy Jaffa jumped out on the ramp and fired his staff weapon. The gate room erupted in gunfire. The armored warrior was quickly riddled with bullets and fell back on the ramp just as the gate shut down.

The gun battle was over in a few brief seconds and left an eerie quiet in its wake. Jack didn't lower his weapon until two SFs confirmed the Jaffa was dead. He glanced back toward the control room and Hammond, then the sight of smoke and the smell of charred flesh brought reality crashing down on him.

He watched, eyes wide with horror as Teal'c wheezed out a breath then hit the floor - hard. The gaping, ragged staff blast wound through the symbiote pouch continued to char and smoke clothing and flesh.

It had been so sudden. So unexpected. And Jack, veteran soldier though he was, could only stand there, shell-shocked and frozen to the spot while he clutched his weapon.

_What have I done?_

Jack's mind was a blur. He stared down at Teal'c's motionless form. Fraiser and her team were clustered around him and almost obscured him from sight.

Jack's heart felt like lead, like its weight cemented him to the gate room floor, but his mind was already making a rapid assessment of their engagement of the natives on P3X494.

In front of him, Lieutenant Warren continued CPR. Warren was a big man. Not as big as Teal'c, but hardy in his own right. And he was tiring. But the man doggedly continued, the medical team under Fraiser's watch not about to give up on their patient.

He watched as Warren was forced to switch with one of the other nurses and continued to bag Teal'c.

Jack didn't blink as he mentally reviewed the mission and he didn't like the results.

_Damn it._

If he'd followed SG-1's normal protocol this might not have happened. He and Teal'c were always the last ones through the gate. Backup for their teammates, backup for each other. It was the way they worked. What was that saying? If it ain't broke, don't fix it?

But he had broken their pattern and now Teal'c was dying, maybe already had. If he'd been closer to Teal'c's position instead of diving through the gate first, he might've provided some cover fire that would have given Teal'c the few extra seconds he needed to stay safe.

Sometimes Jack hated being in command. What if he had taken an extra recon tour near the temple? He might've discovered the Jaffa sooner and avoided them altogether. What if he had misjudged their distance from the enemy? What if he had tried a different diversionary tactic than the radio?

What ifs were useless.

If Junior could just make it a quick recov. . .

Jack felt the color drain from his face as he realized what he'd said.

There _was_ no Junior.

_Oh, God._

"Colonel?"

There was a touch on his arm and Jack blinked. He looked past Carter to see the medical team hastily moving Teal'c out of the gate room on a gurney. Fraiser's strides were short but fast, and she continued to bark out orders to her team as they disappeared down the hall.

"Sir?"

"Jack."

Jack glanced mutely at Carter and Daniel; noticed the SFs had begun to clear the room.

"Sir," Carter said. "Janet got Teal'c's heart started again, but he's in bad shape. If she doesn't do surgery right away. . ."

"Jack, you okay?"

Jack didn't answer. Instead, he retreated behind procedure and signaled one of the SFs over while he unsnapped his P90.

"Sergeant, get this stuff checked back in."

"Yes, sir."

As soon as the SF had taken his gear he limped out of the room. Carter and Daniel were left to follow in his wake.

Major Samantha Carter wanted to scream. Or cry. Actually both. It had been two hours and Teal'c was still in surgery, fighting for his life. Minus his symbiote, without knowing how the Tretonin would impact his treatment. One of Janet's long time nurses, Lieutenant Sally Peters, had come to give them a couple of updates, and they weren't encouraging. The damage to Teal'c's abdomen had been serious, even his back badly affected. Teal'c was still on shaky ground.

Things were almost as maddening in the infirmary ward where she, Daniel and Colonel O'Neill waited for word. Despite his limp, the Colonel had been pacing incessantly. Carter was certain she was beginning to detect a groove in the hard, white tile that mirrored his steps. And there was a faint squeak in one of his boots that she'd never noticed before. It was slowly driving her mad.

When he made what must have been the 500th circuit of the small infirmary, Carter snapped. "Colonel!"

Colonel O'Neill stilled at last and stared at her in accusation.

She winced and calmed her voice. "Sir. Sit down for a few minutes."

Daniel piped in. "It's going to be a while yet before we hear anything."

So Jack sat down on one of the empty beds. . .for a total of perhaps sixty seconds. Unable to hold still, he got up and began to pace once more.

"Jack, you need to let them look at that leg," Daniel said.

"I'm fine."

Carter glanced at Daniel and shrugged. Typical.

With effort, she pushed herself away from the wall and pulled over one of the chairs. She settled into it, dropping her head back to rest on the mattress behind her. What she wouldn't give for eight peaceful, uninterrupted hours of sleep. She opted to close her burning eyes instead.

She wished she could close her ears. The steady squeak and tread of the Colonel's boots repeated in a monotonous tone that was bound to cause her to do something that would earn her a court martial.

And Daniel was no help. He'd stopped by his office long enough to grab one of his books, though he'd spent little time actually reading it. Instead, he opened it and snapped it closed repeatedly, the swish/snap of the motion joining the steady squeak in the tension filled room.

Evidently it grated on the Colonel too because the squeaking stopped and his brittle voice rang through the room.

"Will you stop that?"

Daniel seemed genuinely oblivious to the habit as his head snapped up. "Uh, sorry." He set the book on one of the bedside tables and clasped his hands together to still their motion.

Colonel O'Neill, to Carter's immense relief, finally sat back down on one of the beds on the opposite side of the infirmary.

Her thoughts sobered. The Colonel looked weary, shoulders slumped, eyes dark with concern. Absent was the usual glint of mischief, amusement. No bad jokes. He'd been playing straight man since they'd returned from the planet hours ago.

And he'd clammed up. Withdrawn.

She hated that about him. He could talk non-stop, a blue streak of idle chatter and sarcastic wit. But when it really mattered, when he needed to talk, you couldn't pry a word out of him.

Even Daniel was silent for the moment.

There was nothing to do but wait.

Hammond entered the infirmary to find Daniel and Carter asleep, Carter in a chair and Daniel with arms folded on a nearby mattress.

Colonel O'Neill sat on the edge of one of the gurneys, faced away from the door. His face was drawn and pinched, a combination of the effects of a long day, the firefight on the planet, and worry. And if he knew Jack O'Neill, he was probably replaying the whole scenario over in his head trying to figure out what they should have done differently.

"Any word?"

The Colonel was startled and slid stiffly to his feet.

"No, sir."

Hammond nodded and turned toward Daniel and Carter. "Dr. Jackson."

Daniel jumped, blinking himself awake. He glanced around in confusion.

"Major Carter."

Carter mimicked Daniel's movements. They both stood up when they realized who'd called them.

"Yes, sir?"

"General."

"You two go get some rest. That's an order."

They were both too tired to argue.

"Colonel?" Carter said. "You'll let us know the minute you hear anything?"

Jack nodded. "Yeah. Go on." He nodded toward the doors.

"Yes, sir."

When they'd gone Hammond turned back to Jack. "Colonel, I know you're worried about Teal'c but we have post mission protocol for a reason."

Jack stood up a little straighter. "I'm fine, sir."

Hammond snorted in disbelief. "You always were a bad liar." He nodded to Lieutenant Peters as she entered the room. "Now you will submit to the lieutenant for your post mission physical and get treatment on that knee. I'm sure she or any of the other medical staff will be happy to inform you just as soon as there's word on Teal'c."

"Yes, sir," Peters said.

Hammond nodded gravely to both of them and flashed Jack a warning look. "Carry on."

Fifteen minutes later, Lieutenant Peters was scribbling the last of the notes in Jack's chart while the patient in question, sick of the standard gown they were forced to wear reached for his uniform.

"Wait, sir," Peters said. "We have to wait until one of the doctors can look at your knee."

"I'm looking at my knee." He stuck his leg out in front of him and demonstrated by flexing it, albeit painfully. "It's fine." He once again reached for his uniform.

"I'll be the judge of that."

Jack's head snapped up at the sound of Fraiser's voice and he hopped off the bed, physicals, hospital gowns and other considerations forgotten.

"Doc?" His voice was hesitant. He scanned Fraiser's face, looking for any sign of what was to come. Her face was grim yet betrayed nothing. He noticed she had taken the time to remove her surgical scrubs and was already back to her uniform and lab coat. He wasn't sure if that was good news or bad.

Fraiser raked a hand through her hair and sighed. "He's still alive, Colonel."

Fraiser paused and leaned against one of the beds in exhaustion.

"But?"

Fraiser held his gaze and plunged in. She understood he needed absolute honesty, appreciated a straight-forward approach.

"Teal'c took a direct hit through the symbiote pouch. In addition to the massive damage done in the abdominal cavity itself, there was also serious nerve and tissue damage to his spine and the surrounding area."

She accepted the chart Peters handed her, scanning it absently for a moment.

"In a sense he's been lucky."

"You call that lucky?"

"Colonel, if Teal'c wasn't on Tretonin he'd be dead already."

Jack caught that thread of good news, held onto it. "So then he'll be okay?"

Jack saw Fraiser's eyes soften and she hesitated.

"Come on, Doc. Let's have it."

Fraiser straightened, stuffed her hands into the pockets of her lab coat. "Colonel, he's still in critical condition. Once the effects of the anesthesia have worn off, we can do a further assessment."

She dropped the chart on the bed. "Hopefully there is no permanent damage to his back. Right now there's too much swelling to know for sure. Either way, he's going to have to endure weeks of rehab and a lot of painful work before he's the old Teal'c again."

Jack slumped back down on the bed as the information sunk in. This was even worse then he'd realized. Though it would be a painful experience for anybody, someone from earth would at least expect to endure the rehab. But Teal'c. . .

"You realize what I'm saying." A statement, not a question. And she didn't seem to expect an answer.

"Colonel, Teal'c has suffered injuries before but never like this. And I'm sure even Teal'c has taken his symbiote for granted. I expect there to be emotional issues, to what degree I don't know right now."

Jack closed his eyes and scrubbed his forehead in an effort to push back the sudden pounding headache that chose that moment to make itself known.

There _was_ no going back to the 'old Teal'c'. When he lost his symbiote, he lost a part of himself. For Jack, a concept so repulsive he could barely stand to think about it. For Teal'c, the only way of life he'd ever known.

He slumped a little lower on the bed.

They were in a hell of a mess.

Molten fire, like lava from a volcano.

Or was it a lightning bolt that seared a hole straight through him, which ate away his flesh?

A hazy image of metal feet that thudded on the ground, making the earth quake all around him, making it difficult to stay on his feet.

They chased him with lightning bolts.

A thin, filmy veil seemed to descend over his eyes, making it difficult to make out the world around him. Nothing but the metal feet.

There was someone. . .a lithe figure, a warrior he knew well and had gone into battle with many times. Silver hair, dark eyes. Strong warrior.

He was nowhere to be found.

Perhaps the silver-haired warrior had deserted him. Perhaps he had been killed in battle.

Tealc's energy failed him and the sound of the metal feet grew louder.

A lightning bolt sizzled. He watched in horror as it passed through him, leaving a gaping hole in its wake.

There was something. . .something was missing. Some vital part of him that should have been inside.

Perfect health and long life. The symbiote. But it was gone, as though it had never been.

Alone. There was no one with him on the inside, and no friends, no warriors on the outside.

They were all chasing him and he had nowhere to go, no purpose.

He fought the knowledge with all his might, though the fact never changed.

All that he knew before was gone.

He was completely alone.

Daniel heard the clink of metal on metal before he made it to the gym room door. Jack had made himself scarce after coming by his office a few hours ago to let him know Teal'c was out of surgery.

Daniel leaned on the doorframe and watched for a moment. Jack's usually silver hair was charcoal gray, plastered to his head. A faint sheen of perspiration was visible on his skin as muscles strained upward with another repetition. Intense with concentration on his workout, Jack didn't notice him until Daniel moved into the room.

"Hey."

"Hey." Jack dropped the bar back into its support and sat up.

"I just saw Teal'c."

Jack pulled off his weightlifting gloves. "Yeah? How's he doing?"

Daniel folded his arms across his chest. "He's restless. Janet says he was pretty sick from the anesthesia. She's given him something for the pain but it doesn't seem to be helping."

Jack nodded but didn't say anything.

"She says he's tolerating the medication well and she thinks that's a good sign." Daniel noted Jack didn't seem cheered and gazed at his friend, curious.

The casual Jack O'Neill was an open book. The jokes and the sarcasm were his trademark. The serious Jack O'Neill, the one with all the carefully hidden depths was hard to read, much less figure out.

"Something else is bothering you."

Jack leaned over and reached for the hand weights.

Daniel replayed the end of the mission in his mind, sifting through the events leading up to Teal'c's injury.

"We did things a little differently this time." Daniel waited, fishing for information to help his friend.

"What are you talking about?" Jack continued to work the weights.

"Usually it's Sam and I through the gate first on a return."

"Yep." Jack didn't look at him, just kept working.

"So. . .you came through first. Why? To cover our butts in case one of the SFs got trigger happy on the close withdrawal?"

This time Jack stopped and stared at him.

"What's your point, Daniel?"

Daniel didn't allow the abrupt tone to sidetrack him. He'd seen it too many times before when Jack wanted to avoid any serious, heart-felt discussion. "Well, maybe you figure that since you broke your usual pattern, it left Teal'c vulnerable on the six. Maybe you keep re-evaluating the mission."

Jack dropped the weights back to the floor and stood.

Daniel had been standing so close to the weights that the abrupt move forced him to take a step back.

"Give me a break. Assessing our missions is part of my job." Jack focused intently on his hands as he wiped them on the hand towel.

_Right, Jack. Now if you could just convince yourself. . ._

"Jack, Teal'c's going to be okay."

Daniel had meant to offer the words in reassurance, but they seemed to have the opposite reaction. Jack looked at him in disbelief.

"I appreciate what you're trying to do," Jack said. "But this is the real world here. You can't just talk about this and make it better."

Daniel felt an impatient edge creep into his own tone. "Nobody said it would be easy. It'll take time and effort but Teal'c will be back to - "

Jack pointed a finger at Daniel's chest. "Cut the crap. Let's not fool ourselves. Teal'c has lost a part of himself. Do you have any idea what the recovery is like for a soldier who has lost an arm or a leg in battle? Have you seen the hell they go through?"

Daniel shrugged. "No, but I don't see - "

"That's right. I didn't see. None of us have seen. Teal'c's in for a hell of a long haul. There's no symbiote to protect him anymore; to heal him. There's probably some unknown disease out there just waiting to bite him in the ass. Hell, he's probably susceptible to the common cold now."

Daniel felt like he'd been kicked in the gut. He understood that Teal'c had adjustments to make, but the depths of those changes were only just beginning to sink in.

Ironic that the hard-ass Colonel, Mr. Never-Show-Your-Emotions could be so perceptive. No wonder Jack was on edge.

"So. . .what to do we do?"

Jack tossed the hand towel into the hamper and headed for the locker room.

"I wish to hell I knew."

Teal'c struggled between a hazy near wakefulness and unconsciousness. He could feel the drugs in his system as they worked to pull him in but he fought it. If he allowed the drugs to win he'd go back to that terrible place where his warrior friend had deserted him, left him because he was weak. A Jaffa could not show weakness.

But the mist pulled him under and he searched through it for his friend, despite the heavy weight of the armor that dragged him down, despite the wide, ragged hole in the armor from the lightning bolt.

It was honorable for a warrior to die in battle. But what good was it for the warrior to die alone? Unremembered. And there was no honor for the weak.

He picked himself up and dragged himself forward, step by painful step.

"Hey, Doc. You still here?"

Fraiser knew it was a rhetorical question and stood with Colonel O'Neill just inside the infirmary ward. He knew she never strayed far when she had critical patients. Just like the Colonel always seemed to be underfoot when one of his team was a guest of the infirmary.

"How's he doing?" Jack nodded toward Teal'c's bed, the dark skinned man surrounded by a sea of white - white sheets, white bandages that stood out even among the myriad of equipment in the room.

"He's restless. Post anesthesia was tough on him and the painkillers we've got him on aren't having the effect they should at that dosage. Maybe it's the interaction with the Tretonin, I don't know."

She glanced at the critically ill man. "It's all still so new to us."

The Colonel nodded then slowly approached Teal'c's bed. He settled himself in the bedside chair, his back to her, and stretched.

"Well, T, looks like I've got a little bout of insomnia, too. What say I hang out here for a few minutes? You can kick me out when you're ready."

Was that last part uttered for Teal'c's benefit or hers, Janet wondered.

She stood there for long moments, arms crossed, monitoring her patient. To her surprise, Teal'c gradually allowed the drugs to work and relaxed into sleep.

Fraiser smiled and turned back toward her office. If that was the kind of effect Colonel O'Neill was going to have on her patients, he could stay in the infirmary as long as he wanted.

It was a strange feeling.

It was not like kel-no-reem. When he emerged from his meditation he did so with a clear mind, more sharply focused then when he entered the state.

This was. . .disharmony, chaos of thoughts. It disturbed him greatly.

Voices filtered randomly through the fog and into his brain to further confuse him.

"Man in Tibet. . .two headed alligator. . ."

The words made no sense to him, but he knew that voice.

That voice had been here with him before when he. . .

Teal'c tried to grasp the thought, but it slipped away from him.

". . .cryin' out loud. Teal'c, I hope you don't base your assessment. . ."

Teal'c fought to focus on that voice. The voice that had been in his dream. The silver haired warrior.

He had not been deserted after all.

He knew the warrior's name, struggled through the morass that was his mind to find it. The chaos of his thoughts was thick and heavy, like the sucking, viscous fluid of the Tal'shree on Chulak. Many a Jaffa child had died there, enticed by what appeared to be a cool, deep lake.

But his need to know, to remember the name was great, and he pushed on through the fog.

"Very funny, Carter. This just so happens to be the latest copy of _Glimmer_. Hot off the press."

The familiar voice again. Teal'c struggled to open his eyes. If he could see, put the voice and the face together. . .

"Don't give me that look. T likes this stuff."

It was an effort, but Teal'c's mind and body slowly began to function as one unit. It gave him a sense of victory that was short-lived. The struggle to re-attach mind to body brought one thing sharply in focus over all others.

Intense, burning pain.

It blinded him for a moment, pushed all other thoughts and worries from mind.

Never before had he felt such incredible pain. Why did his symbiote not repair him?

"Teal'c?"

The familiar voice.

Teal'c finally succeeded in opening his eyes, just a fraction. It was enough. Familiar, watchful dark eyes gazed at him in concern. The silver-haired warrior of the dream coalesced with the man in blue watching him now.

"O'Neill." The weak voice didn't sound like his own.

Other sounds filtered into his brain. Major Carter. Daniel Jackson. A steady beeping sound.

Infirmary.

The renewed hope he felt at recognizing his surroundings receded as their significance sunk in.

There was a reason for the excruciating pain, the disorientation.

He no longer had the dependability of a symbiote to heal him.

Ironic, he had cursed the Goa'uld more times then he could count, had taken his combined existence with the Goa'uld for granted.

Perfect health and long life.

But not any longer. The Tretonin was a poor substitute.

Was this what it was like for O'Neill? For other humans who were injured and held in the infirmary, where words of comfort meant nothing, where your only companion was the oppressive, constant pain that gnawed at you until you wanted to beg for mercy? Where you battled alone, yet without even the dignity of private quarters and the flickering flames of candles by which to meditate?

He had not found it enjoyable when Machello's device caused he and O'Neill to switch bodies years ago. It had been foreign. Uncomfortable.

This was far worse.

This was his own body, what was left of it. There was no switching to be done.

He felt cold. Empty somehow.

Alone.

His eyes slid closed.

"Janet?" Carter watched Janet run checks on her patient. The Colonel and Daniel stood nearby.

Dr. Fraiser released Teal'c's wrist. "He's doing well, considering."

Carter frowned. "But he still seems so out of it."

Fraiser nodded. "That's to be expected. His healing process is proceeding at a fairly typical human rate. It just seems slow to us because we're used to Teal'c progressing very rapidly."

"So," the Colonel said, "Now what?"

Fraiser glanced at her patient. "The next time he'll be able to stay awake a little longer, then we'll go from there."

Carter nodded, downcast. She glanced at her watch then up at her CO.

"Sir, isn't there a team leader's meeting at 0900?"

It was obvious by the expression on his face he'd forgotten about it.

"Aw, crap."

He rose and moved toward the foot of the bed and waved at the two officers.

"Listen, if he needs anything, call me."

Three weeks later, Fraiser and the physical therapist, Gina Rollins, supervised as Teal'c slowly inched his way between the parallel bars. He was shaky on his feet and covered in sweat after twenty minutes of work.

Fraiser winced as a grunt of pain escaped through his clenched teeth. With a great deal of effort and a supportive arm from the therapist, Teal'c was able to turn around, his back facing the door.

Fraiser, who still faced the door, saw Colonel O'Neill limp into the room, towel in hand for his own workout.

He stopped short.

She watched the worry and concern on his face, following Teal'c's painful movements. While Teal'c had certainly gotten the worst of the deal, all of SG-1 had been affected by his injury, the Colonel most of all.

However the unguarded look of sympathetic pain on his face only lasted a brief moment, then he schooled his face into a carefully neutral position and approached the group, cheer in his voice.

"Hey, Doc. Rollins."

The effect was immediate. Fraiser felt Teal'c stiffen under her touch. When the Colonel approached, Teal'c would not look directly at him.

"Hey, Teal'c. You doing okay?"

Teal'c's response was unnaturally stiff, formal. "I am fine, O'Neill."

The Colonel frowned, ill at ease. "Well, uh. . .I'll just let you guys get back to it. If I can help - "

Teal'c forced himself to release his grip on the bars and stand unassisted, though bent. "We are finished."

Teal'c's jaw was so tightly clenched Fraiser thought his teeth would grind. She decided to intercede, for both men's sake.

"One more circuit, Teal'c. Then we're done." Fraiser positioned herself at Teal'c's back, out of his line of sight.

She looked pointedly at the Colonel and jerked her head toward the door. She'd talk to the Colonel about this later. Right now she had to take care of her patient.

To his credit, the Colonel took the hint. "Well, uh, carry on." He quickly escaped the awkward tension in the room.

There was a knock on his open door and General Hammond looked up.

"You wanted to see me, sir?"

"Ah, Colonel. Have a seat."

Hammond watched as Jack stepped into the room. His casual step looked a little too forced, overcompensating in an effort to hide the slight limp.

He'd received the original injury three weeks ago. Then this past weekend, Jack and Sara had picked up Tessa and Kayla for an impromptu street hockey game near the park. Tessa and Kayla had a ball, but Jack had strained the same knee.

Hammond looked at the forty-something man seated across from him and sighed. Someone was going to have to tell Jack he wasn't a kid any more. But Hammond knew he wasn't the man to do it. Instead, he switched to the task at hand.

"Well, Colonel, Dr. Jackson won't be back from PX385 for a few days yet. If you don't mind, I'd like to send Major Carter back out with Major Griff's team. Those samples they brought back look promising for Naquadah deposits."

Jack nodded. "Yes, sir. Carter already told me about it. In fact, she's dying to get her hands on some more samples."

Hammond nodded. "Then that's settled. They'll be leaving at 1300 hours."

Jack didn't move to leave right away and Hammond paused.

"Something on your mind, Colonel?"

Jack started; not realizing his thoughts had drifted.

"It's Teal'c, sir."

Hammond recalled the last medical report he'd seen.

"According to Dr. Fraiser, he's progressing well and should be back on active duty in two or three weeks."

"I guess so, sir. It's just. . .he's been acting kinda strange around me lately."

"How so?"

"Teal'c just freezes up when I walk into the room. Hell, I showed up at the gym yesterday while he was doing PT and he nearly snapped my head off. That's not the Teal'c I know."

Hammond relaxed, a chuckle escaping his lips. For once Jack did not share his humor.

"Colonel, I think it's fairly obvious what's on his mind."

The Colonel was a very astute man, despite the dumb act, but it was obvious he didn't have a good read on the situation.

"How so, sir?"

"Stand up, Colonel."

Jack looked even more perplexed. "Sir?"

Hammond waved him up. "Just stand up. I want to show you something."

Jack's eyebrows rose. "Ooookay." He stood as requested.

"Now," Hammond said, "walk out into the hall and back."

"Sir, are you sure you feel all right?"

"Humor me, Colonel."

By the look on the Colonel's face, the man obviously thought his CO had gone around the bend. Nevertheless, he complied with the order, once again the effort to walk casually belying itself and his limp.

Jack turned around and returned to his chair. "Did I pass muster, sir?"

Hammond didn't answer the question. "How do you feel, Colonel?"

"Fine sir," was the automatic reply.

"Uh huh. Colonel, you just reacted exactly the same way Teal'c has been reacting to you. You're trying to cover up injuries, you're worried about 'passing muster' because I'm your commanding officer."

Jack squinted at him, confused. "What difference does that make? He's my friend. It doesn't matter if - "

"Oh, it does matter, Colonel." Hammond gestured him to retake his seat.

"You and I have been soldiers for a long time, Colonel. So has Teal'c. Think back. Have you ever willingly showed weakness to a commanding officer before?"

Hammond watched the realization sink in as Jack slapped a hand to his face.

"Aw, crap." Jack glanced up when he realized what he'd said. "Sorry, sir."

Hammond nodded. _My sentiments exactly_.

Jack tossed the last report into his outbox and massaged his forehead – tired. His mind wasn't focused on what he had been writing; his thoughts circled relentlessly looking for a way to help Teal'c. God knows the talk they had down in the infirmary earlier had been a disaster. That kind of stuff wasn't his bag. That's why he'd gone to get Daniel.

But then Daniel wasn't a warrior; on that level he could never truly identify with Teal'c, with what Teal'c thought he had lost. On the other hand, maybe a different perspective could. . .

What a mess.

Jack dropped his head into his hands, in an attempt to scrub away the memory of Teal'c in the gate room: body charred and smoking as he hit the floor. He swore he could still smell the stench of burning flesh; just the memory was enough to make him want to hurl this evening's dinner.

The shrill ring of the phone finally broke the repeating cycle of images. "O'Neill."

"Colonel Jack!"

A quick smile lit his face, banished his dark thoughts as he leaned back in the chair. "Bambina! Wasssssupppp?"

Kayla giggled. "You're so silly, Colonel Jack. Have you seen Grandpa? I tried to call his phone but there's no answer. He's late," Kayla said.

"Yeah, he left here about half an hour ago. He should be there soon; don't worry." The ache in his heart blossomed for a moment. What would it have been like to have Charlie call him at the base, eager for him to come home?

He leaned forward and grabbed a pencil, turning it end over end.

"We're taking Mom out to dinner," Kayla said.

"So I heard. You must be very proud of your Mom, passing her boards and all."

"Yeah, she says she's glad to be out of school. But she still won't let us play hooky."

"Hey, now. No girl of mine is going to skip school."

"You said you used to do it all the time."

Jack winced. He regretted that he'd let that slip in front of them. If the General ever got wind of it he'd be busted back down to Captain or worse. "That's uh, different. You know."

"No I don't."

"Well you have to go to school. You might be President one day. Or a world famous pianist, or - "

"I'm not taking piano lessons any more."

That was news to Jack. He'd spent many a visit to the General's home listening as Kayla performed mini-concerts. Strains of Beethoven's _Fur Elise_ drifted through his mind.

"Since when?" He waved the pencil like a baton to the imaginary music.

"Since Mrs. Roberts broke her hand in a skateboard accident."

"A little old lady doing skateboard tricks? Now that I'd like to see."

Kayla heaved a put upon sigh as she counseled her friend. "She's not real old yet. She won't be thirty five till next year."

Jack looked indignant. "Hey, watch it. Us old geezers have to stick together."

"You're not a geezer."

Jack shook his head. "I don't know, kid. The knees, the back - "

"Anyway," Kayla said. "I was teaching her how to skateboard at the park, and she fell on her hand."

"Ouch."

"I think she's scared," Kayla said.

"Scared?"

"Yeah, I took her some flowers yesterday. She's afraid that she won't be able to play piano any more. She's played all her life."

Jack dropped the pencil and closed his eyes for a moment.

That was the same fear Teal'c faced. An uncertain future, unsure if he could do the same things, be the same person. He obviously felt his abilities were compromised. But what could he do about it, Jack wondered. What could any of them do about it?

"Colonel Jack?"

"Sorry, sweetie. Just zoned out for a second there. So you took her flowers, huh? That was nice of you."

Jack could almost sense her shrug as she sighed.

"Yeah, well. I didn't know what else to do. And I miss her weekly visits to the house. We had fun."

Jack sensed her sadness and leaned forward in his chair.

"Well, just keep being her friend and encourage her. I bet you didn't have fun just because she played piano, right?"

"Oh yeah. I like her for her. She's fun. Like you."

"Well make sure she knows that. I bet her hand will heal up just fine, and you'll both be playing up a storm."

"I will."

Jack heard through the receiver the sound of a door opening and a familiar Texan accent, followed by a General sized bellow from Tessa in the background.

"Grandpa, you're late!"

Jack couldn't keep the smile off his face.

"Grandpa's here," Kayla said. "I gotta go."

"You kids have fun. Bye." He shook his head as he hung up the phone. Tessa sounded wired, which meant she'd had too much soda - probably her favorite, Mountain Dew.

And for once the General couldn't blame it on him. Not that he had ever let the girls drink too much soda during an occasional babysitting session. No sir. Never got them riled up before bedtime either. Yeahsureyabetcha.

The smile faded as his thoughts returned to Teal'c. If a twelve-year-old could find a way to help an ailing friend, then why couldn't he? He'd buy Teal'c flowers if he thought it would help. Somehow, he didn't think it would. Unable to remain still, he shut the door behind him and headed for the elevator.

Jack knocked on the door. "Teal'c?"

Teal'c had to be in his quarters. He'd checked the gym, the cafeteria, even the infirmary with no luck. He waited a moment. No answer.

He knocked again.

Jack leaned in close but heard nothing from inside. The door was unlocked. He pushed it open and poked his head in. The change in Teal'c's quarters was just as sudden as the changes in the man.

The faint scent of candles burnt during meditation had always been evident on previous visits. That smell was now absent, replaced by the sterile smell of the cold, recycled air that permeated the underground base. He dipped a finger into one of the candles. The yellow wax was hard and cold.

Teal'c was an avid reader: from the Bible, to Daniel's books on philosophy, to his much-loved gossip rags. But not a single issue of _Glimmer_ or any other favorites was sprawled on the table. Instead, the small pile of magazines was shoved back into a far corner, like the man they belonged to had forgotten them.

Teal'c himself looked withdrawn as he lay on his back on the other side of the room, his head turned away from the door. Jack wondered if Teal'c was sleeping.

Sleeping? There was a weird thought. In all these years he'd never seen Teal'c sleep. Well, except for when he was unconscious due to some injury or illness. But not sleep. He'd never needed it, annoying as the thought was.

Sleep was considered a weakness by the Jaffa. Jack's teeth clenched as he remembered the superior look on K'tano's face at the not-so-subtle snub at the Tauri. If Teal'c hadn't killed the slimy snakeass with that broken staff weapon, he would have.

Jack watched Teal'c's face. Most people looked more at peace when they slept: the cares of their waking hours submerged, faces relaxed. If anything, Teal'c looked more ill at ease now than earlier in the day. The frown he'd worn almost constantly on his initial arrival on earth six years ago was now back on his face, more grim, more harsh looking then ever.

It had been quite an adjustment for Teal'c back then. Hell, for all of them. Often he had battled with the General for Teal'c's rights, for Teal'c to be able to experience earth, not be confined to drab, lifeless gray rooms that served as living quarters. Like one night, about a week or so after Kawalski's funeral.

_"Request denied."_

_"What are you going to do, General? Keep him locked up underground for the rest of his life?"_

_"Colonel, in case you hadn't noticed, he's a Jaffa."_

_Jack rubbed his forehead. "I noticed that, sir."_

_Hammond's face was sober, unyielding. "The people of earth don't know they have an alien in their midst."_

_"General, there are people who have lived on this planet all their lives who are far more alien then he is. Colonel Kennedy for instance."_

_"I can't risk it. The Stargate program is on shaky footing as it is. All it would take is one incident - "_

_"We're going to my place for a team dinner, sir, not taking a public tour of the Statue of Liberty."_

_Though we'll do that one day, too._

_"At ease, Colonel."_

_"Hell, just give him one of those nice striped outfits complete with chains. Let him hammer out a few license plates, huh?"_

_General Hammond shot to his feet. "Stand down, airman." _

_Jack straightened, jaw muscles twitching, fighting to compose himself. The next time he spoke his voice was considerably more calm._

_"General, as the commanding officer of this facility you have a responsibility to ensure the fitness of everyone under your command. That includes their mental well-being. You want to confine Teal'c to base indefinitely. Now can you honestly stand there and tell me you'd consider that a healthy choice for anyone else under your command?"_

_Hammond took a deep breath. "Colonel, all that aside. There is the matter of his very obvious tattoo. If his lack of familiarity with earth doesn't give him away out there, that will."_

_Jack's posture relaxed as he reached into his back pocket, a grin on his face. "That's what hats are for, sir." He waved the Colorado Rockies baseball cap around._

_The General's lips quivered as he fought the urge to laugh. He tapped the green ink blotter in thought._

_"Okay, Colonel, Teal'c can go with you. But I am holding you personally responsible for anything that happens."_

_"Yes, sir."_

Teal'c shifted on the hard Air Force issue mattress, bringing Jack's attention back to the restless man on the bed.

They'd had a good time that night. Once Carter and Daniel left, he and Teal'c passed the evening talking and watching TV; an "I Dream of Jeannie" marathon.

Oh boy. The questions that had started. Like whether or not Major Nelson had ever served at Cheyenne Mountain, or how many men on earth had their own Jeannie. Now that had been good for a laugh.

If only Jeannie could blink and solve this problem, too.

"Teal'c?"

Teal'c's eyes snapped open, startled.

That was another thing that wouldn't have happened if Teal'c was just kel-no-reeming. God. Something else he had taken for granted.

"O'Neill." The voice was raspy and low.

"Hey, big guy," Jack said. "How're you doing?"

_Stupid question, O'Neill. How do you think it feels to spend weeks in painful rehab when you used to be healed in a couple days?_

"Did we not have this conversation earlier?"

Teal'c did not look at him, and Jack dragged over a chair and settled down.

"Well, yeah." Jack shrugged. "But that was then. This is. . .now."

"I am fine." Teal'c rolled to a sitting position, hands resting on the mattress at either side.

Jack didn't like the emotionless, defeated tone in Teal'c's voice.

"More Jell-O?"

Teal'c turned a brief look of disgust on his friend. "No."

Jack grinned at the reaction. That was the Teal'c he knew. If he could just get a hold of him somehow, draw him out. . .

"Listen, Teal'c," Jack shifted on the chair as he searched for the right words. "I know I can't possibly understand what you're going through - "

"No, you cannot."

"Or how big a change this has to be, getting used to having your body to yourself. But I do know you."

All these years he'd been telling Teal'c he'd be better off without the snake. But he'd never really stopped to consider what it would be like for him when he had known nothing else in his 100 years.

_I should have seen this coming_.

Ever since the incident where the symbiote died, nearly taking Bra'tac and Teal'c with it, Teal'c hadn't been quite the same. Oh, he'd hidden behind that stoic façade, but he always seemed just the least bit preoccupied, as though he'd lost a part of himself.

Hell, he had lost a part of himself - the part with which Jack O'Neill was least comfortable.

Teal'c stared straight ahead, avoiding Jack's gaze.

"Damn it, Teal'c, will you look at me for a minute?"

Teal'c did, undisguised anger on his face, though Jack knew it wasn't directed at him. "What do you wish me to say, O'Neill," Teal'c spat the words out.

"I don't want you to say anything. Just listen."

Teal'c closed his eyes, as if he prayed for strength. Jack thought he would turn away and ignore him, but he didn't move.

"It won't take long, I just. . ." This time it was Jack whose gaze wandered around the room, everywhere but on his friend. Sara always did say he'd rather face an enemy battalion unarmed then talk about feelings. "I just hate seeing you like this, Teal'c."

"Like what?" Teal'c's voice was dull and lifeless, as if responding by rote, uninterested in the conversation.

Jack fumbled to a halt. What the hell was he trying to say? He was so out of his league. "Teal'c, I want you back on duty."

_Good copout, O'Neill. Hide behind the duty clause._

"I am not the warrior I once was." Teal'c's fists clenched the white sheets beneath him.

"How can you say that?" Jack's voice rose an octave in frustration. "You saved us when we were held prisoner on Chulak at great personal cost to yourself. It's because of you we found a cure for that damn virus in the Land of Light."

"Because my symbiote protected me from the illness."

"Okay. Bad example." Jack got up and paced the room, unable to remain still. He idly fidgeted with one of the candles.

"It was you who was willing to live out the rest of your days in some cave to save Skaara and Sha're."

"Only fitting, since I was in the service of Apophis when they were taken." Teal'c sounded as though he were reciting facts from a report.

"Damn it, Teal'c." Jack made an effort to calm his voice. "My point is. . .that snake would never have risked his life for us. That was you, not that damn Goa'uld larvae."

This time Teal'c did turn away. "Please leave, O'Neill. I wish to sleep."

Jack shook his head in utter frustration. The man could be the most pigheaded, stubborn. . . After a moment, he straddled the chair once more.

"Wild horses, T."

Teal'c's eyebrows rose as he turned back to Jack.

"That's what you said to me, remember? Okay, well, you said it a lot longer, but that's what you said."

Teal'c's hands clenched and unclenched at his side. "I remember."

"You stood by me. That thing had made pulp of my shoulder, skewered me to that wall for what seemed like forever, but you were always there, and you never gave up. I'll be damned if I'm going to let you give up now."

Jack's voice turned quiet. "Don't give up now, Teal'c. There's so much more you have left to do."

_And I count on you, my friend._

"You have to fight through this like you always do."

He waited a moment for some response, any response, but Teal'c lay back on the bed, face once again turned away and wearing that frown.

"Are you getting any of this?" Long moments passed. "Teal'c?"

Nothing.

Jack's shoulders slumped. He'd come hoping to help his friend, hoping to make a difference. Instead he'd probably just made things worse. Worry and frustration weighing him down, Jack left.

Jack nearly bumped into Daniel as the younger man left the cafeteria, steaming cup of coffee in hand. Jack took the cup. "Thanks, I needed that."

"So did I," Daniel blinked in annoyance. Nevertheless, he went back inside and poured himself another cup. "So what's up?"

Jack slumped down at a nearby table, cup cradled between his hands. "I tried getting through to Teal'c, but it's just not working."

Daniel gave him an accusing look. "Not more green Jell-O."

"No, damn it."

Daniel's eyebrows rose. "Sorry."

"He just won't listen."

Daniel noted the worry lines in his friend's forehead, knew how much it bothered him when any of them were suffering.

Jack had always been Teal'c's staunchest support. Ironic actually. The big hulking Jaffa protected by an earth man who was viewed by other Jaffa as physically weaker in comparison.

Whether it was the instinct of a man who had been forced to hone his judgement in order to survive the dangerous business he was in, or maybe just that automatic kinship that sometimes developed between two soldiers, Jack had taken an instant liking to Teal'c.

Daniel wrapped his hands around his mug of coffee. He hadn't been nearly so quick to warm up to Teal'c.

He'd stormed into Jack's office after their initial return from Chulak years ago.

_"You can't be serious." Daniel stood in front of the desk glaring down at his commanding officer._

_"About?"_

_"Are you out of your mind? You're actually going to put that Jaffa on the team?"_

_Jack's face hardened. "That Jaffa's name is Teal'c, no, and you're damn right I am."_

_Daniel paced the room, arms swinging, trying to contain his temper. "Do you know how many people he's killed?"_

_Jack leaned back in the chair, his gaze never leaving Daniel's. "I suppose you do."_

_"He took Skaara and Sha're!"_

_Jack shook his head. "No, Apophis did."_

_"Oh, right." Daniel's voice was venomous. "I suppose he just stood around and watched."_

_"He was under orders, Daniel. He's a soldier. Chain of command. You might have heard of it?"_

_Daniel shook his head in disgust. "Don't give me that military honor and duty crap. He took Sha're."_

_Jack took a deep breath, visibly forced himself to calm down. "Daniel." He spoke in quiet tones. "I know you're_ _grieving over Sha're and I understand that. And we're going to do everything in our power to find her and Skaara." Jack leaned forward._

_"But the purpose of this SG team is to get out there and look for whoever and whatever we can that will help us fight the Goa'uld. Teal'c saved our lives. He's pledged himself to fight for our cause."_

_"And you actually believe him?" Daniel scoffed at the idea. "I didn't think you were that gullible, Jack." _

_Daniel gazed at him in contempt. "I thought Skaara meant something to you. I guess I was wrong."_

_Jack slowly stood and leaned towards the archeologist, eyes blazing, face tight with anger._

_Daniel knew he'd gone too far, but he didn't care. _

_"You're welcome to think whatever the hell you want, Dr. Jackson. But this isn't a democracy and the decision is mine."_

_Jack deliberately enunciated each word, making his meaning clear. "Now if you can't accept that, if you can't work side by side with him, then maybe you're not ready to join the SGC."_

_Daniel turned away from Jack's intense scrutiny._

_Jack's voice still held the no nonsense tone of authority but the anger dissipated. "I want you on the team, Daniel, but the rest is up to you."_

_Daniel shook his head in utter disbelief and headed for the door. He turned back, lips drawn into an angry thin line. "I think you're making a big mistake, Colonel." He raised a hand to prevent Jack from interrupting and a self-satisfied smile appeared on Daniel's face._

_"But that's okay, because the General's not going to buy it any more then I do." _

_Daniel slammed the door behind him._

There was a rattle of dishes as one of the kitchen staff cleared off a nearby table. Daniel felt his face flush in embarrassment at the still vivid memory. Not one of his finer moments.

Jack had been right, of course. Teal'c had saved their necks more times then he could count and Daniel was honored to call him friend. Jack had just seen it a lot sooner. But that was Jack O'Neill for you. More perceptive then he let on. And he'd battle to the ends of the earth for what he believed in.

"Maybe he just needs time. He's been through a lot these past weeks," Daniel said.

Jack rubbed his forehead absently. "Maybe." His voice sounded doubtful. "Or maybe he needs to get out, get focused on another mission, take his mind off things."

Daniel said nothing, just waited.

Jack dropped back against the hard, plastic-backed chair, "I hate seeing him like this and not being able to do anything about it."

"He's come through against the odds before, Jack."

Jack pushed the coffee away. "Yeah, but those times I never doubted that he was willing to fight. This time I'm not so sure. Everyone has a breaking point."

He traced slow circles along the Formica tabletop. "I wish I knew where Rya'c was. Maybe he could get through to him."

Jack drummed his fingers for a few moments. "I better get back to my office." He pushed himself to his feet. "See you later."

Daniel watched in concern as his CO left the room. He stared down into the black depths of his coffee. If Teal'c didn't work through this, it would affect more then just him. SG-1 couldn't be SG-1 without him.

Rya'c.

Something nagged at him. Something to do with Teal'c. If there was just some way to grasp those elusive bits of memory. . .

His head snapped up as the answer came to him.

Meditation.

His friend no longer required kel-no-reem, but if Teal'c could help him achieve a meditative state, Daniel thought they just might be able to find a way to help each other.

With sudden resolve, he pushed the coffee away and hurried toward the elevator that would take him to quarters level.

This just might work.

The many lit candles that filled Teal'c's quarters cast a warm and comforting feeling over the room though Daniel was oblivious to their effects.

Instead, his mind pummeled him with image after image until slowly they began to coalesce, sharper and more in focus then the vague feelings he'd been trying to grasp for the last several weeks.

Instead of fighting them, he allowed the images to wash over him so that he could examine each in turn and fit the pieces of the puzzle together.

The haunting voice. "Master! No, master!"

Disturbing images.

A large cogged wheel, dirty beaten Jaffa wasting away in slave labor. A mothership.

Bra'tac and Rya'c carrying a heavy yoke. The whip. First Rya'c, then Bra'tac.

"No Master!"

The words sounded so clearly in Daniel's head he was sure he'd said them aloud.

Not him.

Oh, God. Rya'c. A prisoner in that hideous death camp.

Daniel's eyes snapped open and he glanced at his friend, wondering how he would explain the images. God knew Teal'c had enough on his mind, he didn't want to burden him more, especially if these images were nothing more than some lingering dream.

But Rya'c and Bra'tac were in trouble. He felt sure of it. And he began to explain.

The next morning, SG-1 and SG-3, along with the Jaffa Rak'nor, were kitted up for their mission to Erebus, the planet Daniel had seen during meditation - the planet where Rya'c and Bra'tac were held prisoner.

Jack was making the final checks of his equipment, and adjusting his earpiece as Teal'c approached dressed in full Jaffa armor. Jack noted he didn't look quite so lost this morning, or eyes so empty, though he still wasn't back to himself. Teal'c's next words proved it.

"O'Neill...I must tell you that I believe I may be a liability on this mission."

"I don't."

Teal'c didn't seem convinced. "If I should die, it is my wish that you watch over Rya'c."

Jack's heart squeezed. He was honored that his friend would trust him with such a charge. He didn't exactly have a great track record as a father.

"Well, let's see it doesn't come to that, all right?"

Moments later, Rak'nor tossed the stun grenade through the event horizon and the mission was under way.

Jack hated waiting.

It was the bane of every soldier's existence. A training method inflicted by every drill instructor, every officer who commanded men. Make your soldiers crazy with the waiting and they'll gladly go into battle.

Better to die in battle then of boredom. What was it Frank used to say? Fight a little, wait a lot.

So they waited, belly down in the dirt, rifle sights trained on the prison encampment below, watching every move, waiting for nightfall so Teal'c and Rak'nor could infiltrate the camp.

A couple of hours later, Jack found himself wishing boredom was his greatest concern.

Teal'c and Rak'nor had been captured and led away from the tents and out of sight. But Jack could still hear. And every crack of the whip, every moan of pain cut through his heart.

His grip tightened on the sniper rifle, but he dared not act. Not yet.

Carter's concerned voice came over the radio. "Sir?"

"Just hold your position."

Daniel looked at him in disbelief. "We're just gonna sit here?"

"Yes!" Jack bit out the word in a low hiss. "We're just going to sit here."

"We'll find another way in."

Daniel shifted on the dirt, as though hard pressed to keep from bolting from his position and straight into the camp to rescue Teal'c.

Though he couldn't see Carter clearly, he could imagine the glare cast his way.

_What kind of a cold-hearted bastard do you people think I am?_

_Sometimes I feel like I'm among strangers. _

_Who the hell do they think they are?_

It took every shred of self-control Jack had to maintain his position. Someone had to think this through with a clear head.

_Well, O'Neill, looks like you're elected._

He kept his gaze trained on the darkened camp below. The steady crack of the whip and Teal'c's grunts of pain still hammered at his defenses. He couldn't tune out the sounds but he forced himself to think past them, to begin to form a new plan of attack.

The sniper rifle in his grip was powerful and effective, even from this distance. The large scope assured a clean target, and he'd love nothing more then to feel the kick of the rifle in his hands as he picked the enemy off one by one.

But they couldn't just charge in, guns blazing. There were too many guards. And Teal'c would never forgive him if he acted too hastily and got Rya'c killed. He had to keep a cool head.

It was going to be a long night.

By dawn the wait was over. Taking out the mother ship had successfully diverted part of the snakehead's troops and SG-1 and 3 opened fire.

Jack felt no small satisfaction as muscles, stiff from the night's silent vigil, bunched and released as he fired round after carefully aimed round at the enemy targets below.

The rebel Jaffa vented their anger as well with hand to hand combat, Bra'tac and Rak'nor in the thick of the battle.

Jack turned his rifle slightly, scanning for the white-haired jailer of this planet, the man who had nearly gotten Teal'c killed.

Teal'c didn't need any help. Jack sighted his target just as Teal'c clamped him in a headlock and with one swift move broke his neck.

With a grim smile, Jack turned his attention back to the center of camp and more Jaffa, finger once again squeezing the trigger.

When the fighting was all but settled, Jack once again swapped with Menholm for his P90 and rose to his feet. "Carter, take over up here."

"Yes, sir." Carter cast him a brief glance then returned her attention to the scene below.

Daniel put away his weapon and stood.

"Daniel," Jack said, "Take Menholm. Get back to the gate. Contact Hammond, let him know we're going to move the rebel Jaffa to the Alpha site for now, soon as everyone's treated and ready to go."

Daniel nodded and he and Menholm set off.

Jack clambered down into the camp and merged into the mayhem as the rebel Jaffa cleaned up. He pushed his way through the mass of men, stepped over debris and fallen bodies and headed straight toward the foursome at the far end of camp.

Teal'c stood, not quite steady, flanked by Bra'tac and Rya'c with Rak'nor close by. Jack was pleased to see the frown was gone. His eyes were still shadowed with pain, but his Jaffa friend exuded a confident air that had been sorely missed the last several weeks. In fact, Teal'c looked insufferably pleased as he straightened away from the others.

"Teal'c." Jack strode up to them, one hand comfortably resting on his P90 as he scanned their faces, and greeted each in turn.

He shook Rya'c's hand. "Rya'c. Good to see you again. I see you've been keeping this old buzzard in line." He turned his gaze on Bra'tac with a twinkle in his eyes that belied the words.

Bra'tac grunted but nodded in respect. "Hashack. It seems we owe you thanks."

"Hey, don't mention it," Jack waved him off. "Glad to be of service." He shook Rak'nor's hand. "Rak'nor, that was some darn good fighting back there."

Rak'nor smiled as he shook O'Neill's hand. "Backatcha." He recalled the Tauri leader's greeting from a previous occasion.

"Rya'c," Bra'tac said, "we should help secure the rest of Baal's men."

Rya'c nodded and moved off with his mentor.

Jack turned to Rak'nor. "You might want to let everyone know we're going to evacuate the rebels to the alpha site for now."

"Thank you, O'Neill." Rak'nor nodded and left.

Jack turned back to his friend, and clasped his shoulder.

"It's good to see you in one piece. You gonna be okay?"

_I'm sorry it took so long to get here, my friend. _

Teal'c seemed to read his thoughts and inclined his head, one simple gesture that spoke volumes. "I am fine, O'Neill." He drew himself up just a little straighter and smiled. "Never better."

Jack felt the burden ease from his shoulders just a bit at those words. Teal'c had found his way back, hadn't given up after all. Thank God.

"Now that's more like it." Jack removed his sunglasses, unable to keep the grin off his face. "Teal'c, I wish to officially inform you that you've got your mojo back. Congratulations." Jack snapped off a quick, sloppy salute.

Teal'c raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Mojo?"

Jack just smiled and slapped his shoulder. "Come on. We've got work to do."

He waited a moment to be sure Teal'c would remain steady on his feet. He needn't have worried. The newfound confidence seemed to give Teal'c the energy he lacked. Jack fell into step beside him.

Teal'c was as he had always been. Unique among humans. Unique among the Jaffa. A man of firsts.

First to successfully rebel against Apophis; first Jaffa to join the SGC; first to lose his symbiote and live to tell the tale. A man who worked tirelessly to help other Jaffa gain freedom.

All very important stuff. But what mattered most to Jack was that his friend was back. He'd missed him, though he'd never let on to his team how much they meant to him. After all, he was a tough old soldier. He had a reputation to protect.

But when he got back to the base, he'd buy a victory round of Jell-O for everyone.

END


End file.
